While customers are familiar with the long-time dining names Max & Erma’s and Damon’s Grill, the new owner of both Columbus-based chains, Gary Reinert, remains as much a mystery as the future of both brands.

Reinert’s Pittsburgh-based G&R Acquisitions Inc. bought Max & Erma’s Restaurants Inc. for $10.2 million in April, taking the public company private, then bought Damon’s International Inc. for an undisclosed sum from Alliance Development Group LLC, the chain’s Charlotte, N.C.-based owner.

Reinert has made only one public comment about either deal, saying after the Max & Erma’s transaction: “While I will not personally be involved with management, we have assembled a great team who, together with the company’s current management, will solve the company’s liquidity and capital issues and allow the company to (implement) its turnaround plan.”

Reinert owns the Grille on Seventh restaurant in Pittsburgh, but otherwise has no other known restaurant ties. Most of his holdings are in development and construction, including Pittsburgh-based Power Contracting Inc. and Metal Foundations.

He did not return calls for comment, while local representatives of Max & Erma’s and Damon’s declined to comment.

G&R said it will operate the 106-restaurant Max & Erma’s and 61-unit Damon’s as separate chains and both would remain in Columbus.

Rob Lindeman remained Max & Erma’s CEO after the deal, but left the company in November for undisclosed reasons. David Brown, interim Damon’s CEO at the time of that deal, was given the job full-time.

Dennis Lombardi, executive vice president of food service strategies at Dublin-based WD Partners Inc., said casual restaurants, already in a hyper-competitive market, are being hurt the most by the recession. He said businesses have to do whatever it takes to keep cash flow positive, from evaluating hours to streamlining service, while working to get a larger share of diners who still are going out to eat. The focus needs to be on traffic and more profit out of each ticket.

“There never was an excuse for a less-than-excellent experience, but now there is no wiggle room,” Lombardi said. “You have to be excellent or you may not survive.”